It’s now been two months of working from home and although I don’t know for sure I think it will be another couple of months before my company is ready to start transitioning us back to the office. I don’t have children, and so working from home hasn’t been a big hardship. However, like most people being at home all the time is not the respite my home had always been previously. I move from my bed, to the couch, to my desk, to the back deck, and despite the niceties and convenience, I’m having trouble finding solace in my usual habits.

In the past, after a stressful day at work, coming home and spending the evening reading was a pleasure. For some reason, it’s been so much harder to escape in a book! I find myself turning towards the TV and streaming shows I’ve heard co-workers and friends talk about instead of flipping open my kindle. Why is this? I’m not a psychologist so unfortunately I don’t have an answer to that question, but recently I’ve done a few things that have given me that joy in reading that I used to feel.

ROMANCE NOVELS

Yeah, yeah, that’ s nothing new for me. I am a huge lover of romance novels. However, I do usually switch up my genre’s. I read a romance, then I switch to women’s fiction, or fantasy. You know, something different. Lately I’ve read romance after romance. I think it’s that happy ending, and the ease of finding a couple you want to root for and fall in love with. Romance novels have been my quick fix.

RE-READING A BOOK YOU KNOW YOU LIKE

I love the old Kristen Ashley novels. You know, when she actually wrote a plot into her novels? I had purchased Kaleidoscope to finish out this series on my Kindle, but hadn’t read it for a long while. This novel helped jump start my ability to read again. Funny enough, it wasn’t as good as I remembered it, but the solace of reading something I knew I’d once liked was enough to get me past that first 50 pages and solidly into the story. Your favorite genre might be Horror, Mystery, coffee table books, who knows! The point is it doesn’t really matter, just pick up a book you love and settle in.

BAKING

I know I haven’t been alone as everyone is baking right now. We’re stuck in our homes and with little to do we are finding our inner Wolfgang Puck. I’m not only baking, but I’m also cooking some pretty great meals. Am I trying to be healthy? NO. I am trying to fill my time and do something I’ve always loved and has made me feel good. I’m just doing it a little more often. One of the things I love the most about baking is that it’s so methodical. Sue me, I’m a Virgo and we love checking things off a list, measuring, scooping, and basically finding solace in organizing type tasks. Essentially baking is following a recipe and measuring. I can listen to an audiobook, get out my measuring cups, and go to town. It’s worked wonders on my psyche. Not so much on my waistline.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Listen to your friends, family, favorite bloggers, whoever you trust. For me, it’s my sister. If she brings up a book more than one time to me, I know she wants me to check it out. She thinks I’ll really like it, and even more importantly, she wants me to read it. I just finished this series by T.A. White in two days. I flew through them! They are NON romance novels! Although, they are romantic fantasy, but still! It got me out of a rut and I LOVED them. Try a recommendation. Interrupt your normal pattern of picking a novel and give someone else’s choice a chance.

ARC’S, ARC’S, AND MORE ARC’S!

I had gotten pretty good at not having too many so I could mix in books I want to read that may have come out in the past, with books that are coming out and I want to read and review for my blog. Admittedly, I’m reading more for pleasure right now. So, I’ve gotten in a bit of a bind. Is anyone else getting ARC requests accepted by all publishers? Is there a shortage of willing bloggers I don’t know about? I’m in some serious trouble! For crying out loud, I got sent a book on 5/13 for a book that came out on 5/12. I don’t work like that! I read in advance. It must be a shortage of people requesting an ARC. I can’t figure this one out. This is just a screenshot of what fit on my screen. It’s a couple of pages. Yikes!

Despite the stress from that last point, I feel like lately I may just have gotten my reading mojo back. I’ll admit to being REALLY picky. If something doesn’t appeal to me in the first 10 pages I put it down. I want to immerse myself in a novel, but I don’t want to have to work for it.

I’d love to know if anyone else has had the same problems and come up with any different solutions? Or have you just shut the book and picked up the remote. I have done a bit of that too.

Take care, and stay safe!

Deb